Giving the other perspective a thought or at least a consideration might help us change our assumptions. For example if you keep thinking that all people who smoke are necessarily people who are bad people, we might miss out on all the knowledge they possess because we assume that ‘bad’ is the only quality that describes them and the aspect or value of ’knowledge’ is not taken into consideration. But just because our thought process is tainted its not necessary
that, that is what actually ‘Is’.
We hold many beliefs. And some of us tend to assume that what we now hold to be true as really the truth. It is not uncommon to form an opinion on someone we know. That-
a person is unappreciative.
a person is self-centered.
a person is proud.
We are also quick to form an impression on the people we know little about. How? Is it through their appearance and the way they talk, walk, dress and behave at times? We may also dislike an activity or even a country even though we may not have tried the activity or stepped foot into that country. Why is this so? Perhaps because someone tells us so. Peer pressure or sometimes even the media plays a role in telling us that the country is far from our liking.
Assumptions are like the colours of a chameleon.
They keep changing. They have a tendency to do so. Yet none of it can be marked as wrong or right. We can’t assume the assumption to be right or wrong. But we should work with the possibility that rigidity in thought might hinder the ‘actual’ perception. We tend to give a structure to understand people, concepts, situations with a fixed mind set. But this does not work in every case. It is up to us to be flexible in our thought process and start believing that we are not the only ones who are capable of thought.
Giving the other perspective a thought or at least a consideration might help us change our assumptions. For example if you keep thinking that all people who smoke are necessarily people who are bad people, we might miss out on all the knowledge they possess because we assume that ‘bad’ is the only quality that describes them and the aspect or value of ‘knowledge’ is not taken into consideration. But just because our thought process is tainted its not necessary that, that is what actually ‘Is’.
Can you think of any negative or limiting beliefs you are currently holding? Whether of yourself, another person, an activity, a place, a type of food, a type of job etc. Be open to the possibility that what you are holding may not really be the truth even though you may have held them for ages. Think about it. Re-look at it. And hopefully something wonderful and refreshing awaits you.
Article by Bhakti Shah
